Take Me to the River Read Free Page B

look like to you?”
    â€œHuge. Empty. Dry. Snakebit, I guess.”
    â€œNever heard it put better.”
    By this time I could have eaten the menus for an appetizer, except the waitress had them tucked under her elbow. Rio looked at me strangely, like I was staring at the lady’s elbow, then introduced her. Ariel was her name. She was his neighbor in the ghost town, and she was also an artist.
    Ariel asked if we were up for the two-for-one burgers with fries. Rio recommended the guacamole topping. “Perfect,” I said. We both ordered large Cokes.
    â€œBack to our trip,” I said. “I Googled four different canyons in Big Bend. What stretch of the river are you and your dad talking about?”
    â€œWe were going to do the Lower Canyons.”
    â€œNow we’re going to paddle somewhere else?”
    All of a sudden, Rio looked real uncomfortable. “Guess I might as well spit it out. My dad isn’t around.”
    â€œWhere is he?”
    â€œHe took off a few days ago for Alaska.”

Chapter 4
Underwhelmed
    â€œA LASKA? ” I SAID . “Y OU’RE putting me on.”
    â€œI wish I was. It came up really fast, Dylan. My dad said to tell you how disappointed he was, after expecting to finally meet you and run the river with you. He didn’t really have a choice.”
    I was awfully slow to process what I’d just heard. It was like I’d suffered a concussion.
    â€œHe asked me to explain, Dylan. Dad thought he was going to be able to work here this summer, guiding on the Rio Grande. Even though the river runs highest in the summer—when the rains come—summer is the low season for the river companies. The tourists aren’t too keen on the heat. Most of the guides leave to work on rivers in Colorado, where it’s nice and cool. As of last week Dad was the only guide left in town, but he thought he had work. He had three bookings in August lined up for after our trip.”
    Rio’s eyes were flitting this way and that with barely a bounce off mine. He took a quick breath and kept talking. “The economy is killing us, Dylan, especially the cost of gas, and the fear factor about Mexico isn’t helping. Tourist visits to Big Bend National Park are way down, and business for the river companies has cratered. Those three bookings for August I just told you about, they all canceled. My dad found out only four days ago. Well, he had to get work, and fast. It’s always hand-to-mouth around here. An old friend who owns a river company out of Haines, Alaska, offered three trips on the Alsek River—each one eleven days long—if he could get there in twenty-four hours. Dad threw some stuff in a bag, drove to El Paso, and jumped on a plane. He’s going to make some good money up there.”
    Rio leaned back, waiting for me to say something. I was still too dumbfounded, just trying to stay calm and not say anything I would regret.
    â€œI know, Dylan. This sucks.”
    Ariel brought our burgers, two apiece. They were huge and looked delicious, but as I started in on the first one, I was so distracted by the grinding of my mental gears I couldn’t even taste it.
    I was hungry, though. I kept chewing and swallowing. Between burgers I said, “How come you didn’t let me know before I left home?”
    â€œMy dad was on the fly. He asked me to take care of it and I told him I would . . . I came down here to the Starlight and started to punch up your number. I just couldn’t do it.”
    â€œUh, why not?”
    â€œWell, I knew your bag was probably already packed.”
    â€œIt was, but still—”
    â€œWhat I mean is, I knew how much you were counting on it. I was counting on it myself, like you wouldn’t believe. Summer around here is deadly dull. The kids from school are scattered all over the desert. There aren’t any even close to my age who live in the ghost town. I figured we could go